Mail-bag catcher and deliverer.



L. W. MELGHIOR.

MAIL BAG GATGHER AND DELIVEBER.

m1 9M In K 4 me an n m wna m a P APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1908.

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' L. W. MELGHIOR. MAIL BAG GATOHER AND DEL-WEBER.

APiLIOATION IILEI) MAY 18, 1908.

Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

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LUDWIG W. MELOHIOR, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

Specification of Letters Patent,

Application filed May 18, 1908.

Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

Serial No. 433,558.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lunwre W. MEL- onron, of Wilmington, in the county of N ewcastle and State of Delaware, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catchers and Deliverers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrj tion of the invention, such as will enable ot ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The primary object of this invention is to provide in a mail bag delivery and receiving apparatus simple and highly eflicient means W ereby a bag may be readily suspended in position on a car and likewise readily removed from a support adj acent to the track while a car is in motion. And further objects are to provide improved means for retaining the bag-holding and receiving device in position and to enable it to be moved into the car.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing the application of my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation, arts being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a top p lan view. Fig. 4 is a section on line 3-8, Big. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 shows the catcher held inwardly.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a bar which is extended across a car door opening and journaled at its ends in bearings 2. This bar is held in its normal position by a retaining plate 3, which is shown as hinged to the side of the car and as having a cut out in its free end to accommodate the bar. This late has a knob 4 by which it may be readi y manipulated. The bar carries two oppositely-extended catcher-arms 5 when constructed for a single track service, but for double tracks a single catcher-arm is suliicient.

6 designates a mail bag retainer. It has upper and lower parallel arms and a boss formed with an o ening to accommodate a pivot stud 7. T is boss has fiat sides so that a plate spring 8 secured to bar 1 may hold the retainer in its extended or its folded osition. The arms of the retainer are iormed with opposite longitudinal grooves to accommodate a loop 9 of approximately U-shape, and composed of a single wire the ends of which are bent inwardly and telescoped-by a sleeve 10 which allow s such ends to have a yielding movement. By thus forming the loop it will be securely held in the retainer. 011 the loop is a ring 12 to which a mail bag is designed to be secured. When the loop is within the retainer, the ring is at right angles thereto, being suspended from the lower arm of the retainer.

The crane comprises a hollow standard 13 and a support 14 secured thereto by arms 16. This support is shown capable of holding a bag at each end, as is required in single track service, and such ends are formed with slots 17 to accommodate the mail bag ring 12, and the underside of such su port has a guide or flange 18 which retains t e loop 9 in properly suspended positions so that it will e engaged by the catcher arm of the car in removing a bag from the support. Within the standard is a 0st 19 capable of being turned axially. T is 0st carries an arm 20 which projects throug a horizontal slot 21 of the standard. In said slot, at its center, is a depression 22 for insuring the proper osition of the arm. The latter is shown as aving two extended portions 23, hooked at their free ends, but in connection with a double track but one of these extended portions 23 is required. When extended toward the track, this arm will be in position to engage the loop and remove it from the retainer, which latter is usually thereby folded inwardly against the bar. Likewise the act of taking a mail bag from a car will cause the receiving arm to turn its supporting 0st axially within'the standard.

T e advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. By means of the yielding loop, the ba regardless of any motion of the train, wil be automatically removed from the car by the receiving arm of the crane, and likewise by providing the mail bag support with a slot for the mail bag ring and a guide for the loop, I am enabled to insure the bag being taken up by the catcher arm of the car. The bar may be readily turned when released by plate 3 so as to enable the ba on the catcher arm to be withdrawn from t e latter within the car.

I have shown and described my present p vements ,in Nominatio wi h ingle track, but it is'bbVfiuS it at equallyapplicablefor doub I claim as my invention:

and having upper and lotr enout Warmypro jecting arms, a loopiitted between and held b by said arms, a ring carried by said loop and to which a mail bag is designed to be secured, said ring being designed to iit over the lower one 9f sai a m a ae ane me td ad aen t a t a k h ving al eir iifqri erori said 91 m sa aa r- '2- In anaemia-trie he eh e er d scr b a ma l bag retaineii t ed by i? ar and having upper and loner outwardly pro,- ie ine arms a 9 9 yi ing m ia fit ed be we n a h y' a arms, a rin a ed y sa and be ch assume is d si ned in be s cured as in being supp ri b' the l er bf a a m a a ran meeet d djacent t t d? ravin an arm f fineries sa d her rm sa d ete er- In an apparatus of the character def ser ed, a ma bag r a e f e' by -a and hav n rapp and ower out a y pni' stins arms leer qe p s d a si le Wi e he so ids QfWh a e d ected; sle telescopin sai d s 511d l loop beingdesigned ,0 b o I arms With sai sle.y 9 a d'be he iter nds of an fe 012+ swin a mai has, he Sa d l p ands cra hr i a an m qrene ei eaadrem vi g sa .9012 from aid ret iemelean. appara u of aharaete d sqrib d. b rpi pta y meri ed area d or penin m ans r hol ing said ba it normal P siti n, a baa re ain r Pira ed o aid ba a spri pl te for holdi said t ner in extended Q1" fo d d pos i n; said r t ner havi upper an lower spac dpa t a ms; a loop desi ned o f t-b w n aid arms a ries ar i liby said 10 1i d to WhiGh a a l h s is designed be se' re and a erane h ving al Y IQQP. a.

5. The combination with. the bar pivoted ca :fsffa'idfbar to hold it in its normal position, a

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et ee sad a i Lea s an ex nd d ages a ree 9 ng 'Qf; a JP ate plYQtcdto'the side of a 'nd having a cut-out to accommodate mail bag retainer having a boss formed v ith urfa fi and, ivoted to said bar, a plate gsecured to said bar for engaging said s a loop designed to be secured to a mail bag'a'nd held by said retainer, and a crane having an arm for engaging said loop. I 6. In an apparatus of the character herein described, in combination, a bar mounted on a ear an h rina 'ateh arm extending therefrom, a support mounted adjacent to a track and hating a slot formed therein, said sipped bein les an 'd to hold a mail bag hav ng a ring secured thereto, said ring fitting in said slot, and a loop suspended from saidri e and si ne 9 be e d b s catcher arm. 4 7. In an apparatus of the character herein described, in combination, a bar mounted on a car and haying a catcher arm extending therefrom, a mail bag support mounted adjacent to a track and having a slot formed therein, a flange on the underside of said eppe t at he nne en i slot, a ing carri b a mai e d ed to fib'iri sai lot and a sleep uspend f i r and des ed t bea as 'i i S fl e s thats si her wi l be en a e-My d tc 8. In an apparatus of the character herein described, in combination with a bar mounted on a car, a, mail bag retainerprojecting from said bar, and a loop supported by said r tainer an t whi h a l b i s no be se ur a erase m nt adjacent to the track and comprising a standard having e iront l s ot; an x ly movabl Pe t mounted i a Standard, d a m b receiv ng arm s c ed t said p s and Prejeeting through said slot. 7

In testimony whereof I have signed this pecificat n in the P e c of tw u scribing w ses LUD IG W- B IO Witness s Ja -W. linear,

June BYRNE- 

